Red Orchestra Franchise Pack

Late last week we updated the Rising Storm Beta application with an updated build of Maggot Hill. Since the last time we play tested this map with the community it has relieved several significant changes ranging from player spawns, world geometry and of course bugs fixed.

We'll be testing this updated build tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday on the beta server at 3 PM EST (-5 GMT). You'll be able to see the events here: http://steamcommunity.com/games/RO2/events (as well as see the local time for the events). And remember, these tests take place using the Rising Storm Beta application in your Steam Library.

Late last week we updated the Rising Storm beta application to add in the Search and Destroy gametype and maps. Like with the Maggot Hill playtests we will be testing every day this week at 3 PM (EST). You'll be able to find the events (and the local time for you) over at the events page here: http://steamcommunity.com/games/RO2/events/

Search and Destroy for those who may not know the gametype, is a single life gametype in which once team has to destroy one of multiple objectives by planting an explosive. The defending team needs to stop the attackers from planting, or diffuse the explosive before it goes off.

We look forward to seeing you in the first test later today (remember it is in the Rising Storm Beta application in your Steam Library)!

We have pushed live an update to the Rising Storm beta application in the Steam Library. This will be a large update (as it change the game into a brewed build instead of a cooked one). This update only contains the map Maggot Hill, which we plan to test heavily this week (at 3 PM eastern or so every day). Find out more about the tests here: http://steamcommunity.com/games/RO2/events

We'll be adding more to the beta as we get things online with the brewed build (including the new transports and modified maps for them in the not so distant future).

This is the "Rising Storm Beta" application in your Steam Library. Download it tonight to be ready for tomorrow!

Tripwire Interactive is proud to announce the winners of the $25,000 "Banzai" Community Map Making Competition for Rising Storm. Since its release last Summer Rising Storm continues to rack up accolades and was chosen last week as PC Gamer's "Multiplayer Game of the Year" for 2013!

As with our other community mapping contests the "Banzai" competition was top notch! Here are the 5 winning maps:

We'd like to thank all of the participants for their submissions. The maps are available now on Steam Workshop and we hope to release some of the winners as official Rising Storm maps sometime in the future.

First of all, we at Tripwire Interactive hope everybody had a great December (a time many of us spend with family and friends) and wish all of you all a Happy New Year!

One of our favorite things about the new year is Brewing! No, not that one (with a special shout out to Putz with his King Tiger home brew). What I am talking about is a new system (which we are calling "Brewing") that replaces the cooking system of Unreal Engine 3.

Like cooking, it will optimize game content, but without any of the random non deterministic aspects that the old system used. In short, this should allow us to do smaller updates to the game, may reduce custom map size, and best of all, should allow custom content to continue working between game patches.

Maps should only need to be Brewed and then they should work for the life of the game. Even some older maps (from previous builds) may work, but we can't guarantee it.

We feel that Brewing has now matured enough that it is ready for a public test. That is why later this week (or possibly early next week) we will be updating the Rising Storm beta to be a Brewed build with the new map Maggot Hill also making its debut for public testing!

We are pleased to announce the PC Gamer has awarded Rising Storm their Game of The Year in the Multiplayer Category for 2013!

More than Battlefield 4, or even Team Fortress 2, Rising Storm makes me feel important. I may only be vital to my team for a couple of moments in each round, but I am significant every second I’m alive. Even as I crumple to the sand on Iwo Jima, sniped from the shore, I’m informing nearby teammates about an enemy location, or at least driving them into better cover. That feeling of significance makes Rising Storm my favourite team game ever. It can’t be won by a few skilled players – it takes organised tactics, and everyone, regardless of their kill/death ratio, is valuable to the team.

I’m satisfied whether I spend a round crouched behind radios commanding my team to victory, or suicidally banzai charging into bases, helping them take ground and acting as an extra in someone else’s war movie. The former is almost guaranteed to put me at the top of the scoreboard, while the latter not so much, but I’m happy just to contribute.

Rising Storm’s flamethrower is one of my favourite weapons of 2013 – a wild dragon in the form of a backpack that immolates instantly and yet somehow remains balanced in a shooter defined by marksmanship and precision.

If you've been looking to pick up Rising Storm, there is no better time then now to help ring in the New Year on the Pacific Front! It will be on sale on Steam for the next 24 hours!

And don't forget it comes with the multiplayer content of Red Orchestra 2! New maps from the Banzai Mapping Contest will be reinforcing the front soon, as well as transport vehicles for the eastern front!

Six remarkable games. The Humble Weekly Sale features a new deal every Thursday. Be sure to jump on this amazing offer before it's gone! This week, pay what you want for Zeno Clash, Zeno Clash 2, Killing Floor and Dwarfs!?! If you pay $6 or more, you'll also receive Rock of Ages and Rising Storm!

It is a great way to pick up some games as well as give money to charity!

Tripwire is pleased to announce that some of the next additions to Rising Storm include the battle of Maggot Hill/Nhpum Ga and (found by modders already) Merrill's Marauders.

Merrill's Marauders, made up of a series of light infantry assault units (lacking heavy weapons), was ordered to take up position at Nhpum Ga and hold it against attacking Japanese forces in April of 1944. Ill equipped for this holding action, the Marauders were put under siege and often time surrounded by the Japanese.

Faced with poor health conditions and limited supplies, the Marauders managed to hold. At the end of the battle, 400 enemy were confirmed dead with 57 dead marauders and hundreds more wounded or incapacitated.

Maggot Hill, like the troop transports, will be joining the Rising Storm beta application in the future. As we move into December, many of the team will be taking time off to visit with friends and family. This means you will see less updates from the team during this holiday season.

Pop Smoke Games are pleased to reveal the long awaited first look at In Country: Vietnam with the release of our new gameplay teaser. In Country: Vietnam is the next game from the creators of Mare Nostrum for Red Orchestra: Ostfront.

In Country: Vietnam marks the first time that the Red Orchestra series will depart from the battlefields of World War II by plunging players into the claustrophobic jungle environments of Vietnam. Players can expect to face all new dangers; from crossing deadly open rice fields or clearing rural villages beset with traps, to defending entrenched fire-base positions and more!

As an all-volunteer development team, we hope that the trailer highlights our work ethic as well as our promise to deliver original content. Please be aware that everything you see is still a work in progress; we value your opinions and suggestions with the hope that together we can make In Country: Vietnam a success.

So we hope you enjoy this first look at In Country Vietnam and remember to keep a look out for the next gameplay teaser which is on the way or check out our featured weapons, vehicles and characters in greater detail over at our website. Feel free to leave your feedback and suggestions in our community forums!